can i water change too often?

[stinkpot]

hi there,

i've got a 5.5 gal tank and a bunch of thirsty house plants. i've intended to water my plants with my nitrate-rich tank water, thereby keeping my aquarium water fresh and keeping my plants happy.

but, since my tank is so small, i was concerned that i might be swapping out too large a fraction of the water, too often. i was planning on taking out about 2.5 gallons on saturdays and maybe 1 gallon on wednesdays.

will the fishies respond positively to having so much of their water constantly cycled? i worry about the inevitable water temperature fluctuations associated with swapping out so much water.

advice + suggestions are much appreciated!
- ld

http://stinkpot.afraid.org:8080/

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Frequent water changes are good for fish: temperature fluctuations and pH shifts are not. You can do the partials you mentioned, provided you keep the tank stable. I'd suggest a little research into your tap water and the water in your tank; if you can keep the two very similar (temps included), you shouldn't have any trouble. If you can't, I wouldn't recommend such large and frequent changes.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Why are there temp fluctuations? If the temp is too cold, add more warm water to the water being changed.

 

[QTOFFER]

Welcome to AA, Stinkpot!

I have a 2.5 gal at work that contains a betta and a clump of Java moss. I change 50% of the water at least twice a week with no apparent problems for the fish. However, you're absolutely right to be concerned about temp fluctuations - that's the big challenge associated with smaller tanks like ours. Unlike all my other tanks, I don't rely on 'feel' to get the fresh water temp right - I use a thermometer and a small bucket.

I would also recommend checking the hardness (buffering capacity) and pH of both your tap water and your tank right before a water change. Big pH swings (more than 0.5 pH unit) are stressful for fish too.

BTW, I checked out your website - nice. Do you collaborate with any of the proteomics people over at Harvard?

 

[stinkpot]

much thanks everyone for the suggestions.

you hit the nail on the head qtoffer; i've noticed that for my small tank, it's quite easy to swing 5 degrees when exchanging only a fraction of the water. some ph strips and a cheap thermometer sound like good ideas.

oh and qtoffer, no, i haven't collaborated with the proteomics people up at the big H. they do generate some fantastically large (and probably noisy ) data sets though.

cheers,
- ld

http://stinkpot.afraid.org:8080/

 

[Voodoo Chilli]

Stinkpot-

I'd forgo the pH strips and use a liquid drop test; those strips are often unreliable. Dealing with such a small tank leaves little room for error, so it'd be best to go with a more reliable type of test (the drop kind).

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I agree with Voodoo. A liquid reagent pH kit is going to be a better cheaper alternative. The AP kit is very easy to read.

 

[tropicfishman]

I have became a master at matching water temps by feel now, we have a non contact laser thermoter and i'm off sometimes by 1-3 degrees lol i'm getting good at this lol

 

[EmptyH]

hi there,
i've intended to water my plants with my nitrate-rich tank water, thereby keeping my aquarium water fresh and keeping my plants happy.

Does this really help house plants grow? I have several house plants, I may have to try this. What about the gunk I get from doing a gravel vac?

 

[Fishyfanatic]

Yes, the Nitrates help house plants just like they do with aquarium plants. Fish waste also helps plants. I don't know if it would smell or not (never tried it), but you could try it.

 

[iamchris]

Another thing that would make it risky to change the water so frequently, in addition to pH and temperature swings, is the increased risk of letting contaminants into the tank. With increased changes, of course there is a greater chance for human error. Still shouldn't be too big of a chance of that happening though.

 

[Fishyfanatic]

I wouldn't worry about it. Discus owners change anywhere from 50% every few days to 100% daily. Temp differences shouldn't be an issue if done properly. And the more changes you do, the closer your pH will be to the tap.

 

[rollin_22]

I have became a master at matching water temps by feel now, we have a non contact laser thermoter and i'm off sometimes by 1-3 degrees lol i'm getting good at this lol

you must remember though that even though 1-3 degrees to us isnt much to a fish it can be vital.... just a piece of advice